Saule Technologies on the Prestigious Map of the Polish Development Fund

Saule Technologies, through its initiative with Columbus Energy, was included in the prestigious list of Polish technology companies cooperating with local governments, published by the Polish Development Fund.

“Our great mission is to generate solar energy and make it available to everyone,” says Piotr Krych, CEO of Saule Technologies. “We are aware that cheaper energy, as well as energy independence and security, are nowadays one of the essential needs of Polish cities and communes, and we are trying to meet them. It is a great satisfaction for us that local governments see us as reliable partners, and the Polish Development Fund list confirms this”.

Saule Technologies’ ambitious goal is, i.a., ecological energy transformation of Polish cities and municipalities. Columbus Energy, the project partner, is the leader of the photovoltaic installation market in Poland. The company is listed in the New Connect market and currently is the largest shareholder of Saule Technologies.

Since 2020, Saule and Columbus have cooperated with local governments for the energy transformation based on the latest technologies using renewable energy. Importantly, participation in the project does not require local governments to contribute.  

“Columbus has already been introducing modern energy solutions for some time,”  explains Michał Gondek, Director of the Technical and Investment Division of Columbus Energy SA. “The innovation was related to the flow of energy between project participants or novel energy settlements. The reduction of energy costs, combined with the possibility of CAPEX-free investments in new energy sources, is very popular among local governments. They often lack a budget for this type of investment. Our projects have been very well received by the market, which allows us to cover an ever wider group of recipients with the “safe energy umbrella.”

So far, several dozen local governments from all over Poland have expressed interest in the project. Recruitment for other cities is still open.

“Every city and municipality in Poland needs an energy transformation,” explains Piotr Krych. “However, in a situation where the infrastructure of public administration does not allow the use of standard silicon modules, the answer to this problem may be light, thin photovoltaic cells based on perovskites. Their great advantage is that they can be installed not only on roofs but also on facades, making buildings fully energy independent. Moreover, these cells can be color-matched to the surface, making them almost invisible”.

As PFR emphasizes, close cooperation of local governments with technology companies is the key to the digital and green transformation of the economy. Without it, the gap between the level of services provided by the public and private sectors will continue to widen.

The map of the ecosystem of Polish technology companies cooperating with local governments was created as part of the “PFR for Cities” analysis. It presents an overview of the domestic smart city market – the results of a survey of 68 Polish cities and 32 enterprises, a summary of various barriers to starting cooperation from the perspective of local governments and companies, and recommendations for more effective actions of innovators with cities.

Saule Technologies is a Polish company founded in 2014 by physicist Olga Malinkiewicz and businessmen Piotr Krych and Artur Kupczunas. Currently, the company employs a team of several dozen scientists and engineers, administrative staff from nearly 20 countries, who have constructed the world’s first production line of printed perovskite cells.

This innovative photovoltaic solution allows you to generate energy both from the sun and from artificial light, which is why it is versatile and suitable for every application – price labels, building facades, carports (sheds for charging electric cars), or satellites in space.